High voltage solid-state switches, such as those disclosed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 972,056, 972,021, 972,022, and 971,886, filed Dec. 20, 1978, and having a common assignee with the present application, comprise a p- type semiconductor body with a p+ type anode region, an n+ type gate region, a p type shield region, and an n+ type cathode region. In three of these applications the semiconductor body is dielectrically isolated from a semiconductor support (substrate). In the other an n type semiconductor support (substrate) is in contact with the semiconductor body and serves as the gate region. Typically, each of the switches is turned to the "ON" (conducting) state by applying operating potentials to the anode and cathode regions while maintaining the gate region at a potential level which is insufficient to essentially cause a cross-sectional portion of the semiconductor body between the anode and cathode regions to be at a higher potential than the anode, cathode, and/or shield regions and to be depleted. The switches are turned to the "OFF" (nonconducting) state by raising the potential of the gate region to a level which essentially completely depletes a cross-sectional portion of the semiconductor body between the anode and cathode regions and raises the potential of the cross-sectional portion to a level which is more positive in potential than the anode, cathode, and/or shield regions. These high voltage switches have been denoted as gated diode switches (GDSs). A similar type of dielectrically isolated switch is described in copending U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 107,775 (A. R. Hartman-T. J. Riley-P. W. Shackle Case No. 16-12-16) which is being filed concurrently with the present application and in which there is a common assignee. This switch operates in a similar manner to the gated diode switches and has similar characteristics. Control circuitry, such as that described in copending U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 972,023 and 972,024, filed Dec. 20, 1978, with the assignee being the same as the present assignee, is coupled to the gate region of each switch for controlling the state thereof. In some cases this control circuitry acts more slowly than may be desired.
It is desirable to have a solid-state switch of the type discussed hereinabove which has integral thereto some control circuitry that facilitates relatively rapid switching of the switch and which does not materially alter the size of the switch.